Today just happens to be National Rotisserie Chicken Day. We’ve got a great grill set up with a smoking chamber, a coal side and the convenience of gas grilling, just no Rotisserie. One of these days . . .
Hubby and I have talked about setting up a huge barbecue area once we get settled in Tennessee – complete with a gas grill, a wood box smoker and a charcoal rotisserie so big we could roast an entire pig if we wanted to.
Okay, maybe an entire pig would be a bit much. I’d settle for a nice charcoal grill that could handle a few chickens.
Naturally for today’s share I went looking for something that was created for a spit-grilled chicken I could easily adapt to make in our Okalahoma Smokey Joe. This marinated chicken really seemed to fit the bill. By butterflying the chicken, it allowed more of the smoky goodness to penetrate into the meat. By laying the split chicken over the rinds in the roasting pan, it retained the key elements of what had been stuffed into the rotisserie chicken.
Pollo Asado Norteño Marinated Smoked Chicken
Pollo Asado Norteño Marinade
4 Mandarin Oranges
1 large Lemon
2 Limes
3 Garlic Cloves
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon Ancho Chili Powder
1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground Cumin
Fresh Black Pepper to taste
Cut oranges, lemon and limes in half. Juice into a large bowl, reserving the spent rinds.
Peel and finely mince the garlic, add to the juices in the bowl. Add salt, Ancho Chile Powder, cumin and pepper. Crush oregano in the palm of your hand, whisk in to incorporate all the flavors. Set aside.
Marinate Chicken
3 lb Roasting Chicken
Rinse chicken, pat dry. Place 2 orange rinds along with half a rind each of the lemon and lime into the cavity of the chicken. Reserve remaining rinds for smoking. Place chicken in a large zip-lock bag. Tilt chicken up to expose larger cavity. Drizzle some of the marinade into the cavity. Lay chicken down again, pouring the rest of the marinade around the bird.
Squeeze out as much air as possible from the bag, then seal closed. Flip the bag over a few times to coat the chicken with the marinade. Put the bagged chicken in a baking dish and refrigerate overnight, flipping periodically to redistribute the marinade.
Drip Pan Basking
1-1/2 cups Orange Juice
1-1/2 cups Chicken Stock
3 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
Whisk together the orange juice, chicken stock and apple cider vinegar. Pour half of the basking liquid in a large disposable foil pan along with the reserved rinds. Set aside.
Smoked Chicken
6 Flour Tortillas for serving
Take the chicken out of the bag, and let any excess marinade drip off. Remove rinds from the cavity, add to the rinds in the roasting pan to line the bottom as much as possible. With boning sheers, cut backbone from chicken. Turn breast-side-up and crack the breastbone to allows chicken to lay flat. Tuck wing back. Place chicken on top of the rinds in the roasting pan. Let the chicken rest in the pan at room temperature while preparing the grill.
Set up smoker as you normally would. Once 225-degrees has been reached and the smoke has built up, lift bird from the rinds. Place a wire rack over the drip pan to lift the chicken and allow the smoke to fully circulate.
Place the bird atop of the drip pan inside the smoking chamber. After 30 minutes, baste the bird with drippings. Repeat basting every 30 minutes, adding more basting liquid as necessary to the drip pan.
Smoke chicken for about 3 to 3-1/2 hours or until cooked through, with an internal temperature of 165-degrees. Remove from smoker, cover and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.
While the chicken is resting, warm the tortillas for serving.
Serve this delicious chicken with a side of Spicy Corn and Mexican Rice. As always, Margaritas are optional, and oh so welcome.
Fill us at daybreak with Your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
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